'It's amazing the connection you can make through a window': Dogs visit, offer comfort to senior centers

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'It's amazing the connection you can make through a window': Dogs visit, offer comfort to senior centers

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Updated: 7:12 AM CDT May 23, 2020

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MORE OF THAT RIGHT NOW. ESPECIALLY THOSE OF US TRAPPED INSIDE DURING THIS PANDEMIC. WESH 2’S DAVE MCDANIEL LOOKS AT HOW ZEN DOGS ARE BRINGING JOY TO SENIORS WHO CAN’T VENTURE OUT. DAVE: FOR SENIORS ISOLATED BY CORONAVIRUS, LIMITED ON WHO THEY CAN SEE, TO BEST PROTECT THEM FROM INFECTION, THAT DOG IN THE WINDOW HAS GREAT VALUE. MINDY: IT’S AMAZING THE ACTUAL CONNECTION YOU CAN MAKE THROUGH A WINDOW. DAVE: MACHOCK AND HER ZEN BASSET HOUND NAMED WOODY HAVE TRAVELED FROM SENIOR CENTER TO SENIOR CENTER. REMAINING OUTSIDE, BUT ALONG WITH OTHER VOLUNTEERS, THEY’RE NUZZLING UP TO WINDOWS, MAKING VERY IMPORTANT CONNECTIONS. MINDY: SO JUST TO BE ABLE TO REACH OUT, EVEN THROUGH A WINDOW, IT’S NICE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE A SMILE, AND THAT’S WHAT WE LIKE TO DO, MAKE SMILES WITH OUR DOGS. JESSE: WHAT WE GET OUT OF IT IS KNOWING THAT WE’RE BRINGING SOME LOVE AND SOME SMILES, AND WE’RE SHARING THESE INCREDIBLE ANIMALS THAT WE’VE WORKED VERY HARD TO TRAIN, ’CAUSE WE WANT TO SHARE THEM WITH EVERYBODY. DAVE: WE KNOW THE RESIDENTS AND THE VOLUNTEERS GET SOMETHING REALLY MAGICAL OUT OF IT, THEY CAN TELL US. BUT THE DOGS GET SOMETHING OUT OF IT AS WELL. JESSE: THEY LOVE PUTTING THEIR PAWS UP AND BEING ABLE TO NOSE TO NOSE WITH PEOPLE. THEY SEE PEOPLE THEY KNOW AN EVEN THROUGH THE WINDOW WE CAN HEAR THE RESIDENTS SAY I , REMEMBER YOU, COME VISIT ME AGAIN. DAVE: OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, THE DOGS HAVE VISITED ABOUT 10 SPOTS. ALAN: WE’VE HEARD FROM THE NURSES, THAT IT BRIGHTENS THEIR DAY, THEY SMILE, THEY ARE EXCITED TO SEE THE DOGS. DAVE: WORD HAD SPREAD. OPIS ISLAND LAKE CENTER IN LONGWOOD WAS GLAD FOR THEIR TURN. STEPHANIE: BEEN WAITING FOR THIS, SO WE’RE EXCITED. DAVE: AND THIS IS THE PAYOFF. IN SEMINOLE COUNTY,

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'It's amazing the connection you can make through a window': Dogs visit, offer comfort to senior centers

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Updated: 7:12 AM CDT May 23, 2020

Seniors isolated by coronavirus, limited on who they can see to best protect them from infection, are getting window visits from some furry friends.“It's amazing the connection you can make through a window," Mindy Machock said.The dogs from Zen Dogs in central Florida are nuzzling up to windows and making very important connections.Machock and her Zen Basset Hound named Woody have traveled from senior center to senior center while remaining outside. “So just to be able to reach out, even through a window, it's nice to be able to make a smile, and that's what we like to do, make a smile with our dogs,” Machock said.“What we get out of it is knowing that we're bringing some love and some smiles, and we're sharing these incredible animals that we've worked very hard to train, cause we want to share them with everybody,” Jesse Bonk said. “(The dogs) love putting their paws up and being able to nose to nose with people.” Over the past couple of months, the dogs have visited about 10 places.“We've heard from the nurses that it brightens their day. They smile, they are excited to see the dogs,” Seminole County Emergency Manager Alan Harris said.

Seniors isolated by coronavirus, limited on who they can see to best protect them from infection, are getting window visits from some furry friends.

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“It's amazing the connection you can make through a window," Mindy Machock said.

The dogs from Zen Dogs in central Florida are nuzzling up to windows and making very important connections.

Machock and her Zen Basset Hound named Woody have traveled from senior center to senior center while remaining outside.

“So just to be able to reach out, even through a window, it's nice to be able to make a smile, and that's what we like to do, make a smile with our dogs,” Machock said.

“What we get out of it is knowing that we're bringing some love and some smiles, and we're sharing these incredible animals that we've worked very hard to train, cause we want to share them with everybody,” Jesse Bonk said. “(The dogs) love putting their paws up and being able to nose to nose with people.”

Over the past couple of months, the dogs have visited about 10 places.

“We've heard from the nurses that it brightens their day. They smile, they are excited to see the dogs,” Seminole County Emergency Manager Alan Harris said.